1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to data processing, and more specifically relates to the process of defining, deploying and managing resources in a logically partitioned computer system.
2. Background Art
Computer systems typically include a combination of hardware and software. The combination of hardware and software on a particular computer system defines a computing environment. Different hardware platforms and different operating systems thus provide different computing environments. In recent years, engineers have recognized that it is possible to provide different computing environments on the same physical computer system by logically partitioning the computer system resources into different computing environments. The eServer iSeries computer system developed by IBM is an example of a computer system that supports logical partitioning. If logical partitioning on an eServer iSeries computer system is desired, partition manager code (referred to as a “hypervisor” in IBM terminology) is installed that allows defining different computing environments on the same platform. Once the partition manager is installed, logical partitions may be created that define different computing environments. The partition manager manages the logical partitions to assure that they can share needed resources in the computer system while maintaining the separate computing environments defined by the logical partitions.
A computer system that includes multiple logical partitions typically shares resources between the logical partitions. For example, a computer system with a single CPU could have two logical partitions defined, with 50% of the CPU allocated to each logical partition, with 33% of the memory allocated to the first logical partition and 67% of the memory allocated to the second logical partition, and with two different I/O slots allocated to the two logical partitions, one per partition. Once logical partitions are defined and shared resources are allocated to the logical partitions, each logical partition acts as a separate computer system. Thus, in the example above that has a single computer system with two logical partitions, the two logical partitions will appear for all practical purposes to be two separate and distinct computer systems.
Known methods for defining, deploying and managing logically-partitioned computer systems are manual in nature, time-consuming, and error-prone. Without a way to automate the definition, deployment and management of logically-partitioned computer systems, the computer industry will continue to suffer from inefficient manual methods for defining, deploying and managing logically-partitioned computer systems.